Nipple



June 23, 1925.

C. K. DENNEY NIPPLE Filed A1193. 6, 1924' Patented June 23, 1925.

UNITED STATES CARROLL K. DEI T1\TEY, OF NFFJV YGRK, N. Y.

' NIPPLE.

Application filed August 6, 1924. Serial No. 730,357.

To a whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARROLL K. DENNEY, a citizen of the United States,and resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nipple,of which the following is a specification.

This invent-ion relates to a nipple for nursing bottles.

One of the difiiculties encountered in the use of rubber nipples fornursing bottles has been occasioned by their becoming loose and hencebeing readily pulled off the bottle. Such occurrence is not desirable tohave happen while feeding an infant. The nipple usually becomes loosenedby the necessity of inserting the fingers therein to stretch it over thelip of the bottle. The greatest points of tension are around the lowerrim of the bottle lip and the head at the bottom of the nipple in theconventional nipple. As the milk in the bottle may be shaken up inplacing the nipple on it will frequently moisten the neck and lip of thebottle causing a wet surface which permits rubber to slip very easilyand as the surface under the principal tension in the usual form ofnipple is limited'in area a slight permanent stretching of the walls ofthe nipple in conjunction with the wetting of the bottle so reduces theadhesion of the nipple to'the bottle as to frequently make it onlynominal. A number of efforts have been made to overcome this objectionand to overcome the stretching of the rubber over the bottle neck andits subsequent loss of elasticity and failure to return to the originalsize. In most cases the attempts to prevent the nipple from being easilypulled off have given rise to another difficulty, that is, they havemade it harder to put the nipple on the bottle.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a nipple that iseasily put on a bottle and easily removable when desired but one thatcannot be readily pulled off when in use. Still another object of thisinvention is to provide a nipple that will retain these qualities aslong as it is used. A further object of this invention is to provide anipple that can be manufactured at small cost.

Another object is to provide a nipple which when. put on its properposition will remain in that position and not slip either down or up onthe neck of the bottle even though thenippl'e has been used before.

Figure l is a view in longitudinal section of a nipple embodying theprinciples of my invention.

Figure 2 is a view in longitudinal section of a nipple embodying theprinciples of my invention attached to a bottle.

Figure 3 is'a view in longitudinal section of the nipple about to beattached to the bottle.

In carrying out my invention, I propose to provide a rubber nipplehaving side walls of uniform thickness with an annular preformed portion2.

Portion 2 conforms to readily receive lip 3 of bottle l. Below portion2, I provide collar 5. lVithin collar 5 is suction ring 6 adjacent thebottom of the nipple. The bottom of the nipple 7 is of slightlyoutwardly curving form to allow the fingers to more readily roll backthe sidewalls when detaching the nipple. A seating ring 8 of slightlyless internal diameter than that of collar 5 facilitates the rolling ofcollar 5 onto the lip 3 of bottle a when putting the nipple on thebottle. It also functions to prevent the nipple from being improperlyplaced on the bottle and from slipping down out of position.

The construction above set forth furnishes a greater surface in uniformtension. The preform'ing of the sidewalls of the nip ple and theiruniform thickness distributes the tension over a greater portion of thenipple and does not concentrate it next to the bottom edge of the bottlelip and at the head but distributes it over the collar and conformingring 2 uniformly.

lVithin the nipple near the small outlet hole I provide a ring 8 toprevent collapsing of the nipple when in use. Such constructionfurnishes a greater surface in tension to hold the nipple to the bottleand also distributes the tension over a greater portion.

of the nipple and does not concentrate itnext to the bottom edge of thebottle lip and at the head but distributes it over the collar andconforming ring 2.

lVhen it is desired to utilize nipple 1 after it is sterilized, turnedup edge 7 is rolled back until the rolled up portion includes theconforming ring 2 (see Figure 3). It will be noted that above conformingring 2 is an additional curved surface 9 which forms the base of thenipple 1 when the nipple is to be placed on lip 3 of bottle 4:. Thecurved sur face 9 is of slightly less internal diameter than theinternal diameter of collar 5 in order to facilitate the rolling back ofthe nipple thereon and also in order that it may form a base when thecollar is rolled up thereon to rest on the lip of the bottle and permitrolling the collar 5 and conforming ring 2 on to the neck of the bottle.The rolled up section is then pushed down over bottle 4 as shown inFigure 2. To remove the nipple, bead 7 is rolled by the friction of thefingers to the position shown in Figure 3. The function of section ring6 is two fold as it facilitates the rolling of the collar of the nipple,for without suction ring 6, collar 5 will tend to fold back on itselfand not roll, but, the suction ring 6 holding the collar 5 to bottle 4enables the rolling operation to be started. In addition suction ring(5, assists collar 5, bead 7, and conforming ring 2, to preventwithdrawal of nipple 1 from the bottle.

The design of nipple l to conform to the shape of the bottle not onlyfunctions to secure a firm grip thereon but also tends to increase thelife of the nipple. As the usual stretching of the ordinary nipple overthe sharp edge of the lip of the bottle and the consequent stretching ofthe walls of the I nipple at one point over the edge of the bottlecauses a breakdown or tearing of the nipple walls. The increased surfacein ten sion together with conforming internal surfaces of the nippleprevents the nipple from slipping down on the bottle as sometimes occursin the conventional form of nipple.

What I claim is 2- A nipple having a body portion of uni form thicknessthroughout, said body portion having a conforming ring therein to fitthe lip of a nursing bottle, a collar below said conforming ring adaptedto lit the neck of said bottle a vacuum ring formed in said collarportion said collar portion terminating in a bevelled edge to permit ofrolling back of said collar conforming ring portion of said body and aring formed in said body portion above said conforming ring to form abase for said nipple when said nipple is placed upon said bottle to berolled into position.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 5th day of August A. D., 1924.

CARROLL K. DENNEY.

